Ordnance



ORDNANC E Filed Feb. 17, ,1945 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO April 23,1946.w. w; MOUNT ORDNANCE Filed Feb. 17, 1945 A, 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 6 Q Rm;m, m a w mH C ET 1 V D H g I a U m 2. w M r a I 1 aw U 4:

6 v w k 8 a Q s April 23, 1946. v w. w. MOUNT 9,

ORDNANCE Filed Feb. 17, -l943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR WADSWORTHATTORNEY I Patented Apr. 153

ORDNANCE Wadsworth w. Mount, Summit, N. a. assignor to Intel-typeCorporation, Broo, N. Y a corporation of New York Application February17, 1943, Serial No. 476,165 I 19 Claims. (Cl. 89-1) The inventionrelates to ordnance and more particularly to a novel gun and meansassociated'therewith for projecting a cable or other filar projectile.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in parthereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned bypractice with the invention, the-same being realized and attained bymeans of the instrumentalities g lision with said obstruction.

and combinations pointed out in the appended 1o lision. The damagingeffect of the.obstructing claims. The invention consists in the novelparts, constructions, arrangements,- combinations and improvementsherein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a parthereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together withthe description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings: Fig. 1 is a vertical front elevation of a weaponembodying the invention, one half being shown lustrating methods ofputting a preliminary twist, into the cable;

.Fig. 'I is a fragmentary detail, in vertical section, of a modifiedconstruction for imparting preliminary rotation to the cable reel; v

Fig. lids a horizontal section on line.8--8 Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail, in elevation, of a projectile showing amodified attachment of cable thereto; and

'Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9, showing the condition afterfiring. The invention is directed to providing a novel and eifectiveweapon primarily for defense against low flying aircraft, beingparticularly effective against airplanes flying at such low elevationsand high speeds that usual defensive armament such as machine guns andother automatic or rapid-fire weapons are'relatively ineffective.,Aprincipal object of the inventionis to present and maintain'anobstruction in the path of an airplane for a substantial interval intime and 5 cushioning 'efiect 'on the cable or the like 'is, inaccordance; with the in-'- vention, greatly enhanced by means whichweight or anchor both ends of the projected cable so that the fulltensile strength thereof is exerted ll; against the contacting andimpacting surfaces of the aircraft, thus making the damaging effect ofthe obstruction far greater than that of a freely suspended cable of thefamiliar parachute type. For this P p se the free or leading end of thecable is attached to a relatively heavy projectile which is fired fromthe gun and draws the cable.

after it. while theother or trailing end of the cable is fixed to aheavy object adjacent the gun so that while the cable is across-the pathi as of the aircraft, both ends thereof are relatively immobilized andthereby the cable is under a substantial inertia and imparts its fulltensile strength to the contacting aircraft. This inertia is exertedfrom both ends of the projected cable so that the tendency thereof is toloop about'the aircraft and exert a substantial drag and, at the sametime, a sawing or cutting action thereon. However, the ends of the cableare preferably not fixed to any immovable object so that the cable willnot snap or be stressed beyond its tensile strength limits when struckby the aircraft, at least until that tensile strength .has been fullyexerted against the aircraft. In this connection the length of cableprojected into -the air is preferably less than the total. supplythereof, thereby maintaining a reserve of unexpended cable at the firingpoint, against which the initial tug of the ensnared aircraft must firstbe exerted. Thisarrangement provides a cable, avoiding a suddeagainstthe weight to which it is the bottom. 1 g 1 The invention isdesigned to project the'cable connected at 0 for a relatively longdistance into the air from a fixed base at the ground, saiddistance'preferably being several times greater than the altitude of theplane that it is intended to ensnare. Thus the period of time duringwhich such a-cable may space, said-obstruction being designed to impedea be maintained across the path of an oncoming rminal part of the sharptug thereof plane is relatively long and consequently the necessity foraccurate fire-control calculations and application of lead factors andcorrections for'wind, drift and other ballistic factors is greatlyreduced in comparison to such factors affecting the fire control ofusual anti-aircraft weapons. Preferably th cable and its projectile aretired practically vertically upward, and this manner of use avoids thenecessity of accurate aiming and directing of the gun at the time'it isfired. A plane in low-level bombing, or strafing, attacks, mustnecessarily travel in a fairly straight line so that at some point itswing spread crosses a vertical line directly above the objects beingattacked. This feature enables the gun to be fired from a distantcontrol point where the intersection of an oncoming plane with the cableto be projected can be observed from a remote position and thereby, withsome practice, the timing of the firing'of the gun to ensnare anoncomingplane can be a matter of accurate performance for a target of anyobserved altitude and angle of approach. Moreover because ofthepreferred method of firing from remote positions, either by manual orelectrical means, a plurality of guns may be controlled by a central orotherwise appropriately located operator who may be so placed as to seeand observe the oncoming planes a substantial time prior to when theywould come into the normal view of personnel located at the guns or atthe point to be protected thereby. bviously also in many cases safety ofpersonnel is enhanced by the ability to control and fire the gun from aremote point.

The invention is also capable of automatic operation in certainlocations and military'situations and for such purpose may beelectrically fired by automatic plane-detecting meansspaced from the gunorguns in loci below expected avenues of approach of hostile planes.Electronic eral description and the following detailed description aswell are exemplary and explanatory but are not restrictive of theinvention. Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodimentof the invention, same is illustrated-by means of the accompanyingdrawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the invention comprises the followingprincipal devices: a smooth bore gun of the muszle-loading type having avertically-disposed barrel I, an integral base ring 2 and a largediameter disc-shaped base plate a; a projectile 4, the upper end ofwhich protrudes from the muzzle .of the gun and to which is attached theleading end of the cable 5; a freely rotatable reel on which the cableis wound in concentric cylindrical layers from the central portion ofthe reel outwardly, said reel comprising a central tube I con-. centricwith and sleeved about the outer surface of the gun barrel I, ahorizontally-disposed annular reel plate or disc I at the bottom of thereel tube 6 and rotatably supported with respect to the gun barrel, anda plurality of concentric circles of winding pins 8, having their lowerends fixed in the reel plate and projecting vertically upwardlytherefrom, about which the cable is.

wound as aforesaid. The above-described general features of theinvention will now be described in detail.

Referring first to the construction of the gun, the base plate 3 thereofis attached to the. base ring 2 by a plurality of angularly-spaced boltsII. The gun barrel projects vertically upwardly from the base ring 2 andthe external diameter thereof is reduced at H to form an annularshoulder which acts as a support for rotary bearingfor the reel plate 1,upon which the reel may rotate freely.

' If desired, a different form of rotary support beplane detectors, suchas photo-electric or radar devices may be so positioned so as toautomatically fire the gun when the plane has come within apredetermined proximity thereof. Similarly audio-operated control meansmay be provided for firing .the gun when the sound of'an approachingplane has reached a predetermined volume or intensity.

In providing a weapon designed and capaci-' tated to operate asaforesaid, the invention also provides many novel and useful means anddevices for effecting the most-efllcient functioning of such weapon.Among the major objects of the invention in this respect are theprovision of.

means for preventing breakage of cable or separation thereof from theprojectile at the time of firing due to the great acceleration generatedat the moment of firing; and means for preventing a twisting andentanglement of the cable with itself and other objects adjacent to itand around tween the reel and the gun may be provided by spaced-apartroller members (not shown) mounted on the base plate 3 or on the basering 2 and supporting the underside of the reel plate I nearer theperiphery. Above the shoulder II the portion 12 of the barrel iscylindrical both externally and internally for a height in theneighborhood of the upper edge of the reel tube 6. Thence the externalsurface of the barrel tapers upwardly to form the frusto-conical noseportion l3. The bore ll of the gun is smooth and cylindrical,

- terminating at the closed breech end I! asshown.

the gun. The latter means include many novel elements of constructionwith respect to the initial-winding of the cable and attachment thereofto the projectile and to the. mechanism or reel for holding the cablewhile same is being projected. In the conception and perfection of suchdevices lies much of the novelty and superiority ofthe invention becausethereby I am enabled to projecta relatively great length of cable'rapidly,

cleanly and without kinking, twisting or other action tending to weakenthe cable; using for the projecting means an exceedingly simple,'inexpen- I sive, light, portable weapon of comparative low muzzlevelocity. 5

It will be understood that the foregoing gen- Any suitable firingmechanism may be provided adjacent the breech end of the bore, whichportion thereof acts as the firing chamber for the propellant shown asthe powderbag I. The propellant is preferably spaced from the-breech endI! of the bore by a suitable spacer I] which may be formed asa, grid ofwire-or similar open material. As shown, the firing mechanism is thatconventionally used with the so-called Lyle gun for firing life linesand comprisesthe tubular member in communicating with a vent from thepowder chamber and being adapted to house asuitable percussion-operatedcap or cartridge which is .fired by a spring-actuated pin ii, the latterbeing released by a cooking piece 22 suitably connected to a lanyard 23for operationfrom any desireddistance. Details of this firins attachmentmay be found in a publication of the U. S. Coast Guard thereon, datedOctober 1, 1936, and entitled "Firing attachment Lyle line-throwinggun." l

It will be under-steed that the firing mecha! nism here'shown anddescribed is a conventional device forming no specific or essentialelement of the invention, asany other suitable form of firing .orpropellant igniting means may be' provided and in many cases it maybedesired to use elecloop and bowline the cable is preferably loopedtrically operated or controlled firing means, of which there arenumerous known and suitable types.

The projectile 3 may be of any suitable form and shape for the purposeintended. As shown it comprises a relatively long cylindrical bar havingan external diameter slightly less than that of the bore Id of the gunand when inserted in the gun as shown in Fig. 1 the lower end of saidprojectile is adapted to rest on the upper end of the powder bag l6,being preferably spaced therefrom by a gas-check pad 25 of asbestos orother suitable fibrous material of a diameter such that it fits tightlyagainst the wall of the bore. As shown the projectile is tubular orhollow throughout a considerable portion of its length, this bore 28belt 1 provided to reduce the weight of the projectile and, if desired,as a chamber for explosive, smoke-producing substance or other material.Depending, however, upon the material of which the projectile is made,the amount of propellant used and the ballistic qualities desired,

' the length and diameter of said bore 26 may be stantial portionthereof extends beyond the muz-' zle of the gun, thereby to permitattachment of the cable to the projectile while same is seated in thegun in position for firing.

In accordance with the invention the attachment of the cable to theprojectile is such that .the cable will notbe suddenly snapped, kinkedor twisted either at the moment of firing or at any time during thetravel of the cable and projectile through the air or after iirhas beenhit by a plane. For this purpose the cable may be connected to theextending part of the projectile by means which permit completeuniversality of 'movement of the projectile withrespect to the cable, sothat no matter. how the projectile may twist or turn in its flight andupon contact with aircraft or other objects, the cable will remainuntwisted and hang free from its point of con-' nection with theprojectile. In accordance with this principle an eye bolt having a shaft33 and eye 3| is disposed diametrally through the projectile near theupper end thereof, the aperture through which said -bo lt extends beinglarge enough to permit iree rotation of the bolt on its own axis. Ananchor swivel comprising the U- In accordance with the invention thefree endof the cable 5 is attached to the swivel eye 34 in'such mannerthat the sudden. impact and acceleration of firing the projectile willnot overwashers 33. Preferably all parts of the cable and" projectilehereinabove described are greased or lubricated so that they will slideeasily and loosely with respect to each other and are usually tied orbound in position by breakable bindings such as string, tape, cardboardsieev'e, etc., not shown.

Upon firing of the projectile, the slack in the attached portion ofthe'cable is taken up and the cable is drawn fairly tightly up againstthe anchor swivel and into the position shown in Fig. 4. It will benoted that the loop 35 is not constricted although the bowline knot 36is itself tightened up as well as the other slack parts between the loop35 and the anchor swivel.

A modified form of attachment of the cable to the projectile isillustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. As shown in Fig. 9 the cable may belooped one or more times about the body of the projectile itself and insuch arrangement the tendency to snap the cable is reduced because theinterposition of the projectile prevents constriction of the cable intoan arc or-kink of critica1 breaking radius. Accordingly, in Figs. 9 and10 there is shown a .relatively simple method of attachment wherein aneye bolt 203 is non-rotatably fixed projecting through the projectilenear the upper end thereof.

' The cable is passed through a loop 35 and howupper end of theprojectile in their loosened state. Upon firing, the loops 20l aretightened up around the body of the projectile as shown in Fig. 10, allwithout introducing critical stresses in any part of the cable. Thisform of attachment is especially effective when relatively largediameter cable is used.

I shall now describe the present preferred I means for arranging andwinding the bulk of the cable about the gun so that same may be readilypaid off bythe pull of the projectile, all without twisting or snaringor entangling of the unwinding cable and while affording the minimum. offriction and retarding effect during the over the cylindrical surface ofthe reel tube 5.

Said wrapping preferably is in the form of festooned loops, starting atthe upper end of the stress and snap the cable. Accordingly theattachment of the cable to the anchor swivel is initially made byproviding a substantial amount of slack which is taken up relativelygradually-as the projectile leaves the gun under the acceleration offiring. .In the preferred form ofattachment, a loop or bight 35 isformed in the free end oi the cable, said loop being held againstslipping or'constricting bymeans 'of a non-slip knot such as the bowlineknot 36. Beyond the tube 5 and working down toward the bottom thereof.This initial disposition of the cable is very important in that itreduces initial stress on the cable to the minimum, giving a loose andeasily pulled length of cable which has virtually .no resistance andthus enables the projectile to leave the gun readily and without anydeflection from its intended course. .The first stress is largely takenup bythe contraction of the knot 35- and loops 31, which causes thecable to become firmly attached to the projectile, because the nextfollowing length, about the reel tube 4- a 8,809,186 0, is 'so readilyreleased that when pulled out it exerts no friction, binding or cuttingagainst the tube walls or the gun and also assures that no breakingforce will be exerted against the cable being drawn off during thatcritical period of the firing. All this contributes to. the desiredaction of taking up the firing load on the cable gradually and withoutweakening the cable.

As clearly shown in Fig. 2 the depending'portion of the cable is firstwrapped in a course 40 around the tube 0 in clockwise direction-to apoint 4| where it is doubled under and looped back wardly in the reversedirection to form the lower course 42. The central point of the loop 4|is preferably disposed at about'the level of the beginning of the course40 and the center of the loop 4| is tied to the beginning of said course40 by a piece of string or other easily frangible connecting means 43,thereby holding the first two courses in position. 7 It will be notedthat the end of the loop 4| does not quite reach the course 40 nor thedepending length 0 of the cable. The

' lower course 42 is continued around in counterclockwise direction to aloop 44, the point of which is substantially vertically below thebegin-' 'ning of course 40. The lower course 40 formed by a frangibleconnection suchas the piece of string 41. In suitable manner the lowercourse '48 of the loop 40 is drawn counter-clockwise around the'tube toform the lower-loop "which in turn is attached to the next opposite'loop00 by the connecting string 0|. In similar manner In winding the cableabout said inner circle of pins 00 I start wrapping at theupper endthereof, beginning with the top portion of the uprising course 00, theupper end of which is held in position by string piece 62 tied to theadjacent left-hand pin 00 (Fig. 2). The cable is then wound incounter-clockwise direction over each of the inner pins 00 in asubstantially horizontal course and thence again around said circle ofpins just below said first course and so on to form a substantiallycylindrical or octagonal wall of successive contiguous horizontal pinof. the next outer circle 10 thereof. cable is then laidcounter-clockwise about the the entire tube is wrapped with loopings orfestoonings of the cable until the bottom course 02 is formed. When samereaches the point it in line with the superposed loops 44, 40, etc.,-itis fastened in that position by a string 04, the opposite end of whichis tied to the reel plate I through suitable holes therein. All of saidstring connections are preferably formed of relatively weak materialwhich will break readily upon the upward jerk of the fired projectilebut are of sufiicient strength to hold the wound cable. in

of'pins, indicated by th numeral 00, are preferably at least eight innumber, equally spaced radially and circumferentially about the center 1'of the gun. As shown, each of said pins is threaded at its lower endand screwed into an appro-. priate tappedhole in the reel plate, theupper end of the pin being slotted or otherwise designed for readyturning' b'f the pin to seat and unseat it in the plate. All of saidpins are preferably of equal,,-,height, all being substantially lowerthan th t op of the inner reel tube 0. Each of said pins is alsoprovided with a string tie hole 0| which passes transversely through thepin near the upper end thereof. The tops of the Pins are made as smoothand free from burrs as possible, and preferably may be slightly rounded,thereby to avoid chafing or cutting wires of the cable as it passes overthem.

rality of twisted steel wires.

courses from the top course 03 to the bottom .course 04. The lowermostcourse 04 terminates at point 00 where it is attached by string 06 tothe next adjoining pin- 00 near the bottom thereof.

Thence the cableis bent upwardly to form the loose rising-courseB'lwhich passes outside the wall of cable about the pins and at itsupper end 08 is connected by string 09 to an adjacent The pin I0beginning with the uppermost course II and on down again to the bottomas before, thus forming a second wall of cable windings about the pins10 from top to bottom thereof. In like manner the lowermost course ofcable about the pin I0 is brought upwardly and outwardly to be held withsuitable string fastenings and wrapped in a third wall about the circleof pins 80; and so on until all the cable is wound in successivelygreater-radius cylinders formed and separated from each other by theconcentric circles of pins (Fig. l). The terminal course I 0I- of theentire reel of cable is preferably fixed to the reel plate and as shownis knotted or looped through the three openings I02, I00 and I04 thereinto form a terminal knot or non-slip anchorage I05 thereat.

The cable preferably used is made up of ,a plurality of strands, eachstrand comprising a plu- For general purposes I have found that 9. fr"diameter, 6 x 7 (six strands of seven wires each). cotton center,standard aircraft cord is suitable. Such cable ha a tensile breakingstrengthof approximately 1000 lbs. In addition to its strength andgeneral serviceability, it should be noted that such a cable has asubstantial abrasive effect when in motion past a surface, so that whena part of an airplane comes in contact therewith there will beaneifective awing action of the cable upon the plane due to the verticalup or down movement mately 5000 lbs.

of the cable in flight. j

. -With the gun as shown, using the above-described cable and aprojectile weighing approximately 5 lbs., same will lift approximately500 ft. of cable-vertically, using a 2 oz. black powder charge. Themuzzle velocity of the projectile in such firing is approximately 530ft. per econd and the projectile is in the air approximately 10 seconds.

The invention-is not limited to the use of this specific size cable, andwhere desired a heavier cable may be used such, for example, a /4" steelcable which has a breaking trength of approxi- The height to which thator any' cable may be projected will depend upon many ballastic. factors,including the powder charge used, the relation of the weight of theprojectile to that of the cable. etc.

Means (Figs. 1 and 3) are preferably provided for' preventingentanglement, during firing, between the iestooned courses of cable40-02 about the reel tube 4 and those courses of the cable in aseaisothe next adjacent wall thereof on the pins 60, it frequently happeningthat the initial tug-of the projectile jerks the looped parts of thecable so violentlythat they fly radially outwardly toward thepins 60. Toprevent such entanglement a shield llll formed of a fiat piece of lightmetal curvedto form an incomplete cylinder between the pins 60 and thefestooned cable about the reel tube is positioned as shown'in Figs. 1and 3. The tendency of said shield is to expand outwardly and thus bearagainst the pinsGll where it pro.- tects said pins and the cable woundthereon from, being struck by and ensnared with the rapidly disengagingloops Eli-52. g

In operation the firing of the projectile draws the attached leadportion of the cable upwardly therewith as indicated in Fig. 4. As thereshown the cable has been pulled over the inner circular rows of pins 60,10, etc. and it will be noted that those pins are shown as having beenbent at' their tops from their original upright positions inwardlytoward the center of the reel, that bending being greatest as to thepins of the innermost row Due also to the pull on the cable, there is a"tangentially applied rotational force which rapidly causes the reel torotate in'the direction of the pull. This rotational force is applied tothe reel through the constricting of the cable on the pins andon thatportion of the reel tube 6 which isabove the tops of the pins. Thisfreedom of the reel to-rotate as the cable unwinds is of greatimportance in effecting proper unwinding'the'reof. As the, reel picks upspeed, the cable tends to feed off withless and less constricting actionon the coils thereof because the rotation counteracts the tendencytoconstrict. Consequently the tendency to bend the pins inwardlydiminishes as the outer rows of pins are reached so that ultimately thecable feeds off those rows of pins with practically no constriction orinward pull and therefore without any bending effected upon or circleand diminishing outwardly until a point is reached where there. isvirtually no inward defiection of said pins. This pin-bending action isa result of the manner in which force is transmitted from the projectilein flight to cable being drawn from the cylindrically wound wallsthereof on the reel. For ease of unreeling it would be preferable tohave the cable wound about a conical surface from the apex downwardly.However, if wound in such conical form, the tendency of each lower coilof cable would be to work outwardly and upwardly over the narrower coilsabove it because the tension exerted in winding the cable about the coneacts to force it upwardly along the inclined surface of that cone. Inwinding on a cylindrical surface, however, the vertical walls have noinclination and hence the tension on each coil of cable tends to hold itin place. I have therefore found that the cable must. be wound on acylindrical surface in order for the coils to stay in' place duringunreeling and also during storage and shipment. In the latter situationsthe expansive andcontracting effects of temperature alone would causeserious disarray of the cable if wound on a conical surface.

However, under the upward pull of the projectile on a cylindricallywound coil of cable the tension of that pull is exerted along the lengthof the cable, causing the reel to turn and also tending to constrict thenext coil or coils to a narrower diameter. It is this constricting pullwhich, ex-' erted in the upper layers of the wound cable, causes thepins to bend as shown. ,1 The strength and resiliency of those pins issuch that they bend inwardly at the-top enough .to form a somewhat saidpins. Naturally also as the projectile rises in the air toward itsmaximum ordinate. the upward speed thereof diminishes so that the cableon the outer rows of pins is pulled less violently by the projectile.

It will also be apparent that the ability of the reel to rotate in thedirection of pull greatly reduces the resistance to that pull andtherefore results in the projectile being able to pull all a muchgreater length of cable than it could from a stationary supply. Also, asthe projectile rises the horizontal centerwise component of its pulldiminishes; moreover, the centrifugal action ex erted on the outer wallsof cable on the rotating reel may further contribute to the diminutionof the centerwise pull.

The construction of the reel and its pins, as shown and described, isalso of value and importance in the matters of supply and reuse,especially in the field. The bent pins may be readily withdrawn from thereel and new or straightened pins used to rewind and use over again thesame cable or cable from a fresh supply. The use of pins as shown, whichare relatively free to flex at their upper ends, is also helpful instorage of these flexible pins can give enough to adapt themselveswithout permanent distortion of the pins or the set of the cable, whichmight happen if the conical surface as the cable pays off, thusreleasing same without too much resistance yet gradually cushioning thetension of the pull upon the capable as a whole and the pull of thecable on the reel. so that the cable does not snap as it picks up itsresistance load gradually. Thus the cable actuallyis wound on a cylinderbut pays off in a cone, on the inner two rows of pins particularly, thecone being formed by the bending in of the pins as determined largelyb-y-the pull of the cable and the resistance of the reel and pins tothat pull. The upward taper 13 of the gun facilitates clearance of thecable, especially the innermost courses thereof, as the part of thebarrel above the reeltube 6 becomes part of the apex of the cone formedby the inward bending of the tops of the inner rows of pins.

and retain its full tensile strength.

pins were rigid at bothends.

By the method of winding shown and de-- scribed the cable is readilyhandled and loaded for firing. The weight of the reel with its pins 7and cable is sufficient to keep it from jumping oil the gun barrel asthe cable is pulled off by the projectile. As the force exerted inlifting the cables weight and starting the reel turning is applied tothe cable smoothly and without sudden shock, due to the yielding of thepins, the upward taper I 3 of the gun, the lubricants, the rotatabilityof the reel and other factors, the cable is able to stand the stress,pay out cleanly I have found in practice that an axial twist isintroduced into the leading portion of the cylindrically wound part ofthe cable when same is fired by means of the apparatus hereinabovedescribed. It appears that so long as the reel is substantiallystationary, the unwinding of the circularly coiled cable from thestationary reel introduces a twist therein, but that after the reelreaches a certain rotational speed, the rotation thereof counteracts thetwisting of the cable and the remaining unwinding of the cable duringthe firing is without damaging twist. A substantial amount of twist inthe cable is undesirable, es-

6 pecially at the start, as it greatly weakens same and introducesatendency to kink. In accordance with one feature of the invention,therefore, I apply a preliminary reverse twist in that part of the cablewhich is wound around the inner row or rows of the reel so that theundesirable twisting action will be counteracted by the reverse twistformed therein and that portion of the cable will pay off sufficientlystraight and untwisted in the firing. By having the reverse twistthroughout that leading part of the cable up to that point where asubstantial rotation of the reel takes place, all damaging twisting andthe consequent evil effects thereof can be avoided. In the presentconstruction I have found it sumcient to reversely twist that portion ofthe cable forming the cylindrical layer coiled about the inner circleof-pins OI, although the exact point where the twistmay be safelydiscontinued is not definitely known and depends somewhat on the muzzlevelocity, length of cable already paid out, and other factors relatingto the rotation of the reel. The swivel connection of the cable to theprojectile also helps to relieve some of the twist in the cablewhen sameis transmitted along the cable to the swivel in In Figs.,5 and 8 I show,diagrammatically, means for introducing said reverse twist into thecable. As shown, the cylindrical member 300 diagrammatically representsthe winding surface of the inner circle of pins 80 about which the cable5 is being wound by counter-clockwise turning of said cylinder asindicated by the arrow A. For such winding on of the cable it isnecessary tointroduce an axial twist. or turn 0f 360 for each 360 layerof cable wrapped about the cylinder sun. The diagrammatically shown.means for applying said twisting to the cable comprises a supply reel Ifrom which the cable being wound is paid 01!. Said reel is mounted foraxial rotation on a stub shaft 302 which is supported by a bracket armIIII. Said arm 30! is itself rotatable axially so as to turn the reelI0! end-for-end about a supporting axle I which projects from a wallsupport I". By this conasaaiso.

rality of outwardly-dispos d ducts Ill which connect withsingularly-disposed vents or nozzles 60!, the latter being directed sothat the explosive gases issuing therefrom will impinge upon the angularfaces of the turbine blades "3.

As will be clear from this showing-and description, the initial effectof firing the propellant charge in the gun is to cause a small portionof the exploding gas to elect through the vents It and impart aninstantaneous rotational thrust to the reel tube It! and consequently tothe reel plate and cable thereupon. The upper smaller diameter reel tube800 acts as it-substantial gas the reel will begin to rotate as the gunis fired;

and obviously also the same general operation can be effected byelectric motor means or even mechanically as by starting the reel tospin' as the lanyard is pulled, as by wrapping a pull rop about the reeland starting same to spin when the rope is pulled in the manner similarto which one cranks an outboard motor.

In operation it will be understood that my gun is designed primarily fordefense' against lowflying aircraft so that a barrage of steel cablesstruction (diagrammatically shown) the reel may be turned end.-for-endas it pays out the cable being wrapp d about the cylinder!" and in sodoing an axial twist in the direction of the arrow B is imparted to thecable during winding. If the cable is wound on to cylinder "I byclockwise rotation thereof (Fig. 6) the cable must be twisted axially inthe opposite sense as indicated by the arrow Cand, as will be obvious,the same supply reel mounting can be used for that .pure

pose.

In one modified form of the invention means may be provided forimparting an initial rotary motion to the reel, thereby to induceimmediately the desirable rotational action to avoid the twistingabove-described and to avoid the strain on the, cable resultingfromovercoming the in-' ertia of the reel and its cable when startingits rotation, and to thereby allow the projectile to pull 'thecable uphigher. One suggested means for effecting this operation is shown inFigs. 7 and 8. As there shown the lower portion "I of g the reel tubeIII! is spaced slightly from the outer walls of the gun 002. The innercylindrical surface of the tubular portion "I is provided with aplurality of vertical corrugationsor grooves 003 which form, in effect,turbine blades. Thefirin chamber ll of. the gun is provide'd with apluanchored to the projectile weights at the top and to the reels whichslide freely on the gun barrel at the bottom, can be suddenly thrown upin front of low-flying attacking plane's. By remote control firing thiscable barrage can be erected without necessarily exposing the operatorof these guns to danger from the guns or bombs of the attacking planes.The invention is not de-,

signed to take the place of aimed anti-aircraft guns where such guns canbe effective, but to be used where the time element is so short thataimed guns are ineffective, often as an auxiliary weapon.

The steel cableforms a vertical line traveling upwards or downwards withsome speed and strong enough to exert a good pull on a plane runninginto it, so that the cable tends to saw through the wing, whip itsprojectile weight into the plane at some point, and by exerting the fulltensile and sawing strength of the cable against the plane, tends towreck it directly or unbalance its flight so that it hits the groundbefore it can recover; or at least the cable will destroy the aim oftheattacking plane.

The shock'of the plane hitting the cable would be cushioned by theinertia of the free projectile weight at the top and at the bottom bycontact against the yielding reel pins and by the inertia of movement ofthe reel about the gun. If the pull becomes too great, the reel mayslide oi! the barrel perhaps after I overturning the gun itself thusleaving the cable around the plane with substantial end weights on the,cable. with the gun barrel securely anchored in its vertical firingposition by its own weight or otherwise the cable' and reel will snubthe bottom end of the cable in a cushioned manner against the gunbarrel. If th cable is not hit by a plane, there is no parachute tocarry the cable away ,with wind.

warn of! attacking planes, etc., or to hold it aloft longer thannecessary, and. the cable can be speedLy rewound around the outside ofthe reel 1 and thus cleaned up out of the wayvery quickly.

Smoke trails and whistles can be used in the Projectiles to minimizedanger to those below. The projectile usually falls som distance awayfrom the base of the gun according to the wind and anydeviation fromvertical of the barrel when the gun is fired, whether accidental orintended.

I have found that the great speed of rotation of the reel engendered bythe firing is sufficient to wind up a large length of the cable aroundthe outer row of pins as the cable comes down. This rotation can then becontinued by hand, or by. mechanical means to wind up all the'cablequickly, to get it out of the way, to save it for reuse, and so that thefired reel may be readily taken off and a new reel put on torapidlyprepare the gun for refiring.

As the gun is fired by a lanyard, or electrically, it can be fired byremote control at any distance from its base. An electric ye, or small"radar type of detector, which sighted to a certain height, say 300feet, in an inverted cone area from the base of the gun, may be causedto operate a relay and fire the gun automatically when any sizeableobject flew into the large circle of detec-- tion above the gun. Thistype of control would be useful on fixed installations such as bridges,roofs of power plants, railroad areas, etc., where friendly planes couldbe kept away.

The present invention would have been most effective if it had beeninstalled to defend an airport like Hickam Field, Hawaii, from a suddenattack on grounded planes, barracks, etc., as occurred on December 7,1941, where the attackers were reported to have machine gunned andbombed the field at heights of fifty feet and less, doing their damagebefore our fighter planes could get off the ground and killing our guncrews before they could get to their guns. In such an installation acontrol tower or observation post strategically located so as to commanda view of the whole field and containing switchboards to set off one ormore cable throwing guns at any strategic point, would be constantlymaintained. On s'ghting enemy planes coming in for a low level attackthe operator would close the switches which would fire cables into thepath of the oncoming planes. If these cable throwing guns were set up atthe ends of runways, Or in the runways on the landing field, they wouldhave flap covers which would open when the gun was fired but the rest ofthe time would allow planes to roll safely over them.

ranged so as to throw up a line of cables in the line attacking lowlevel planes would naturally follow. Military trucks can have gunsmounted on their cab roofs. Tanks could carry at least one apiece, whichcould be fired and the reel rewound to pick up the used cable or bediscarded from inside the tank. Trains might have one on every other boxcar roof, to be fired by the observer in the engine or caboose. Lines ofmen landing to take a beach head where they are likely to be machineguns of a low flying plane. Knowledge that these cable-throwing gunswerein general use might effectively deter many low level plane attacks,or force the attackers to fly at levels high enough to make regular AAguns effective. Their installation would not reveal the location of locito be protected, as isthe case with balloon bar-' rage installations,for example. a

On ships, the guns should be placed preferably in the stern, so that thefalling projectiles and cables would trail behind the propellers and notfoul them when being reeled in. Fired from the bridge they would allowthe operators to stay sheltered. If the guns were mounted at an outwardangle along the sides of a ship they could be arranged so that the reelwould be thrown clear of the ship also if there was danger of foulingpropellers when fired from forward positions. With the barrel tilted-atangles below the vertical the gun works well as a line-throwing gun,

a with the advantage that themetal cable is far stronger and not solikely, tosnap or burn off as is the light rope used by the Coast Guardlifesaving line-throwing gun; thefcable my gun throws is strong initself, it can be used by engineers to throw a line across 'a streamwhere it will tangle itself in tree branches, ,o'r where it canbe'fastened on the other side by one man, without the necessity of hispulling a line across the current with him, and thus make possible theholding of boats and men against a swift current when making a speedycrossing. The steel cable thrown up a mountain can be made fast at thetop and thereafter used to haul, guns or other supplies up the steepgrade. It can be used to throw a strong cable across any ravine, or toany point where it would be costly in time or effort to get a similarline across by usual means. As the line will not burn, it can-be thrownover burning water, oil, brush, to help men stranded on the other side,such as a burning tanker with oil burning on the water around it, atsea.

strafed might have these guns on landing barges, 1

This gun could be used by ground troops to throw its projectile and,cable over suspected land mine fields, mine traps, or barbed wire, sothat by pulling back On the cable hidden mines could be exploded andbarbed wire pulled away without danger to the troops.

Among other novel features the invention differs from otherline-throwing devices, whether gun or rocket, in its ability to makehigh strength steel cable hold on to a projectile without break ing orlosing tensile strength, and in the means for handling the steel cableso that it will pay off readily, be practical to use and reuse, and stayfastened top and bottom in a cushioned manner when struck by a plane.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specificmechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefromwithin the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from theprinciples of the invention and without sacrificing its chiefadvantages.

What I claim is:

l. A weapon for projecting a cable into the air including in combinationa gun, a projectile to be fired from the gun, a reel mounted on the gunand rotatable relative thereto, and a coil of cable supported on saidreel, the free end of the cable being attached to the projectile so asto bedrawn therewith in its flight, and motor means apart from the cableforimparting an initial rotation to said reel.

2. A weapon for projecting a cable into the air 8 essence 'includingincombination a gun, a reel mounted on the gun coaxiallywith the barrelthereof, a

, projectile to be fired from the gun, and a supply the free end of thecable from the top of the layer adjacent to the gun barrel beingattached to the projectile to be drawn thereby in its flighbas the coilsof cable pay out through the space between the adjacent layers of thewindings.

.3. A weapon for projecting acable into the air including in combinationa gun, a projectile to be fired from the gun, and a length of cablehaving a free portion thereof attached to the projectile and arranged tobe drawn by the projectile in its fiight, the trailing portion of saidcable being coiled on a rotatable support comprising a platform havingvertically disposed pins secured therein at their lower ends in aplurality of radial rows, the cable being coiled over successiveannularly related pins from the inner to the outer edge of the platform,and th inner annular'series of pins being spaced from a vertical centralcore member a sufficient distance to enable bending of said pins andsubsequent series thereof toward said core as'the cable is uncoiledunder the pull of the fired projectile, whereby to form a conicalsurface for free passag there,- over of the initially uncoiled windingsof the cable. l 4. In apparatus for ballistically projecting a cableinto the air by firing a projectile to which its leading end isattached, in combination, a base, a length of metal wire cable formed ina plurality of concentric cylindrical layers coiled on said base, andspacing meanrbetweeneach layer and its adjacent layers for separatingsaid layers a distance sufilcient for free passage of the coils of thecable withdrawn from the successive layers by the pull of theprojectile.

5. In apparatus for ballistically projecting a cable into the air'byfiring a projectile to which its'leading end is attached, incombination, a

base, a plurality of upright relatively concentric layers of wire cablemounted on said base and adapted to pay out therefrom under the tug ofthe projectile when fired, said cable being wound to payout from theinner to the outer layer and from the top to the bottom of thesuccessive layers.

6. In apparatus for ballistically projecting a cable into the air byfiring a projectile to which its leading end is attached, incombination, a base, a plurality of spaced upright concentric layers ofa length of wire-cable mounted on said base and wound to pay out fromthe top toward the bottom of each layer under the tug of the projectilewhen fired, and spacing means over.

which said cable is wound to form said layers,

said spacing means being fixed to the bas and being sufilcientlyfiexible toward the axial center of the layers to yield toward saidcenter to reduce resistance to paying out of the "coils of cable underthe contracting infiuence thereon or the fired projectile. i

- 7. In apparatus for ballistically projecting a cable into the air byfiring a projectile to which its leading end is attached, incombination, a

base, a length of metal wire cable coiled on said base in a plurality ofupright concentric layers, and a plurality of annularly'arranged rows ofupright pins over which the cable is wound to form said layers, saidrows of pins being spaced apart to provide clearance between the layersfor release or the cable upon firing of the projectile and said pinsbeing secured to said base but yieldable whereby tomaintain the coilswound theres over in tension and to fiex toward the axial center of thelayers upon contraction thereabout of the coils withdrawn under the tugof the fired projectile.

8. In apparatus for ballistically projecting a 10 cable into the'air'byfiring a projectile to which its leading end is attached, incombination, a

base, a length oi. metal wire cable coiled on said base, at least aportion of said cable toward the end thereof attached to the P jectilebeing is axially twisted on itself in adirection opposite to the twistintroducedin uncoiling of the cable under the pull of the projectilewhen fired.

9; In apparatus for ballistically projecting a cable into the air byfiring a projectile to which 20 its leading end is attached, incombination, a

base, a plurality of spaced layers of wire cable disposed in uprightconcentric relation on said base and being adapted to pay out therefromfrom the top toward the bottom of the successive 25 layers, said cablebeing-wound so as to pay out from the inner to the outer layer and incontiguous coils running from the top to the bottom of each layer and atleast a portion of said cable 10. In apparatus for ballisticallyprojecting a cable into the air by firing a projectile to which as itsleading end is attached, in combination, a

base, a length of metal wire cable formed in a plurality of uprightrelatively concentric layers coiled on said base and spacing meansbetween each layer and its adjacent layers separating the 40 layers asubstantial distance from each other to provide, clearance for releaseor the coils of the cable from the successive layers under the pull ofthe projectile, said spacing means comprising upstanding members fixedto the base and bendabl toward the axial centerof said layers under theunwinding torque of the cable when the projectile-is'flred whereby 'toreduce resistance to the paying out of the cable.

11. In apparatus for ballistically projecting 0. cable into the air byfiring a projectile to which .its leading end is attached, incombinatioma rotatable base, a length of metal wire cable formed in aplurality of upright relatively concentric layers coiled on said baseand spacing means between each layer and its adjacent layers providingclearance for the coils of-the cable in the successive layers to feedout freely under the pull of the fired projectile, said spacing meanscomprising upstanding membersrigidly fixed to Q the base but flexibleand adapted to yield inwardly as the coils of the'cable are constrictedunder the pull of the projectile to reduce resistance to rotation ofsaid base induced by said constriction and the unwinding torque of thecable.

J 12. In apparatus for ballistically projecting a cable into the air byfiring a projectile to which its leading end is attached, incombination,a base, a continuous length of metal wire cable formed in a plurality ofupright concentrically 79 disposed layers coiled on said base from thetop to the bottom or "each layer, and spacing means over which the cableis wound to form said layers at spaced intervals greater than the sizeof the cable, said spacing means providing surfaces for N the guidanceand free sliding thereover of the ascaisc cable uncalled by the tug ofthe projectile and providing a barrier against contact of the coilspaying out from one layer with the static coils of an adjacent layer.

13. In apparatus for ballistically projecting a cable into the air byfiring a projectile to which its leading end is attached, incombination, a

1 base, a plurality of spaced concentric layers of wire cable mounted nsaid base and adapted to wherein the cable from the bottom coil of eachlayer extends to the top coil of the next layer in a slack stretchthrough the space separation between the layers and is tied to thespacing means at the top and bottom ends of said slack stretch by afragile tie-piece easily breakable under the tug of the projectile. r

15. A weapon for projecting a cable into the air including incombination a gun, a projectile to be fired from the gun, and a lengthof cable having a free portion thereof attached to the projectile andarranged to be drawnby the projectile in its flight the trailing portionof said cable being coiled concentric with the gun on a support mountedon the latter for rotation induced upon uncoiling of the cable under thepullof the fired projectile, said rotatable support comprising aplatform having vertically disposed pins secured therein at their lowerends and spaced apart in,

a plurality of radial rows, and wherein the cable is wound overannularly related pins in contiguous coils forming concentriccylindrical layers of 'increasing diameter from the inner to the outeredge of the platform, said pins being adapted to yield toward the axisof rotation of the platform under the -uncoiling action of the cablewhen pulled by the projectile in flight. 16. In apparatus forballistically projecting a cable into the air by firing a projectile towhich its leading end is attached, in combination, a base, a pluralityof spaced upright concentric layers of a length of wire cable mounted onsaid base and wound to pay out from the top toward the bottom of thesuccessive layers under the tug of the projectile when tired, andspacing means over which said cable is wound to form said layare, saidspacing means being fixed to the base and being sufliciently flexibletoward the axial center of the layers to yield toward said center toreduce resistance to paying out of the coils of cable under thecontracting influence thereon of the fired projectile, the axis of saidlayers and spacing means extending substantially parallel to the line ofdeparture of the fired projectile.

17. In apparatus for ballistically projecting a cable into the air byfiring a projectile to which its leading end is attached, incombination, a

length of metal wire cable wound in a plurality of coils, said cablebeing axially twisted on itself in the successively wound coils thereofin a direction opposite to the twist caused by lineal extension of thestatic coils in a direction substantially axially thereof under pull ofthe projectile.

18. In apparatus for ballistically-projecting a cable into the air byfiring a projectile to which its leading end is attached-in combination,a length of metal wire cable'wound in a plurality of coils, said cablebeing axially twisted on itself in the successive windings thereof in adirection opposite to the twist introduced upon uncoi-ling of the cableunder pullof the projectile, the amount of such axial twist beingapproximately 360 for-each 360 turn of the cable within said coils.

19.'In apparatus for projecting a cable into a lineal stretch from acoiled hollow-core mass thereof, in combination, a length of metal wirecable wound in 'a plurality of coils, said cable being axially twistedon itself in the successively wound coils in' a direction opposite tothe twistcaused by lineal extension of the static coils in a directionsubstantially axially thereof, the inner end of said cable extendingfrom the central portion of said coils and said coils being unobstructedat the end thereof from which they are to be unwound whereby said cablemay be unwanswoa'm w. MOUNT.

